Monday, July 27, 2009

American Theatre of Actors presents Euripides’ tale of human sacrifice in a family setting.The title character of Iphigenia in Tauris is required to sacrifice all foreigners who enter the kingdom.What will she do when her brother and brother-in-law—searching for a magic idol—are found in her temple?

The play will be performed on August 26, 27, 28, 29, September 2, 3, 4, 5 at 8 PM (Wednesdays through Saturdays), with a special matinee on Sunday, August 30th at 3 PM, in the Outdoor Theatre at the American Theatre of Actors at 314 West 54thStreet,between 8th and 9th Avenues.It is easily accessible by the 1, A, B, C, D trains at Columbus Circle—59th Street, and the N, Q, R trains at 57th Street.

Admission: $15.00.

Ticket info: Call 212.581.3044

Featured as Iphigenia is Morgan Nevans, with Jason Resnikoff as her brother, Orestes.Others in the cast are Samantha Cole, Dennis Demitry, Quincy Ellis, Adam Griffith, Leslie Kelly, Claire Nasuti, Michael Swartz, and Nikole Williams.The production is directed by Jeff Dailey.

Written in the early years of the 5th Century BC,Iphigenia in Taurisraises issues still current today about religion, family, and murder.

various historical images

Before the story begins:

The Greek king Agamemnon killed a deer in a forest sacred to the goddess Artemis, and boasted he was the better hunter.In retaliation, Artemis calmed the winds at the port of Aulis, where the Greek navy gathered to depart for Troy, where they intended to avenge the abduction of Helen (who was married to Menelaus, Agamemnon’s brother) by the Trojan prince Paris.The soothsayer Calchis advised Agamemnon that the only solution would be to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia.During the sacrificial rite, Artemis magically substituted a deer in Iphigenia’s place, and transported her to Tauris (now called Crimea), where she became a priestess in the Temple of Artemis.Among her responsibilities there, she assists in the sacrifice of foreigners who venture into Tauris, which is ruled by King Thoas.

While Agamemnon was at war, his wife, Clytemnestra, was seduced by Aegisthus.When Agamemnon returned, his wife and her lover killed him.They then ruled Athens together until Agamemnon’s son, Orestes, returned and killed his mother and her lover, assisted by his sister Electra.

Orestes is then pursued by the Furies, whose duty is to punish any who disrupt familial piety.They drive him mad, even though he insists he did what the god Apollo ordered.At last the goddess Athena receives him in the acropolis of Athens and arranges a formal trial of the case before twelve Attic judges. The Furies demand their victim; he pleads the orders of Apollo; the votes of the judges are equally divided, and Athena gives her casting vote for acquittal.The furies continue to pursue him, and Apollo tells him to go to Tauris, where he must find a magical statue of Artemis that fell from the sky, and bring it back to Athens.He sets off with his friend Pylades on this quest.

Morgan Nevans (Iphigenia) graduated from AMDA and TheNew School University and is thrilled to have the opportunityto perform classical theater again. She worked with directorJeff Dailey previously in the title role of Dido, Queen of Carth-age in this same courtyard theater. She would like to thankher soon-to-be-husband for his support and encouragementto push herself down new paths.

Jason Resnikoff (Orestes) graduated from Columbia College,Columbia University in 2008 where he studied history. He wasa member of the King's Crown Shakespeare Troupe, appeari-ng as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Macduff in Macbeth,and King Lear in King Lear. He wrote for the sketch comedytroupe Chowdah, and performed in several department prod-uctions under the direction of Diane Paulus and Amit Gazit.Recently he played Caliban in Bird-on-a-Cliff's production ofThe Tempest. His hero is Beethoven.

Quincy Ellis (Pylades) was most recently seen in King Lear(Gloucester) and Wanderlust (Character D). Other creditsinclude Romeo & Juliet (Nurse/Gregory); The Rubik's Cube(Caveman); and What of the Night? (Ray). Off the stage,Quincy enjoys both directing and figure skating, which hasled to his own productions S.A.L.I.G.I.A. and Balloon Heaven;the latter of which became a finalist at the Network One ActFestival earlier this year.

Samantha Cole (Maiden) is making her New York City debutin Iphigenia in Tauris. She recently moved here from Seattlewhere she got her MFA in acting from the University of Wash-ington. Originally a California girl, she studied anthropologyand theatre as an undergraduate at Berkeley. Some of herfavorite roles have been Ruth in Blithe Spirit, Pam in HunterGatherers, Pinky in Our Lady of 121st Street and Olivia inTwelfth Night. Samantha has also written and performed twoone-woman shows, one of which is an ethnographic accountof life in one of Seattle's tent cities called Nickelsville.

Leslie Kelly (Maiden) most recently appeared in On TheBrink, a workshop/production with BMCC Tribeca PerformingArts Center. Past favorites include Hamm & Clov StageCompany’s Anam Cara, Collective Company's Heer Ranhja,Atlanta's Alliance Theatre production of Project Collision andall her performances at UGA. Leslie trained at T.SchreiberStudio and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University ofGeorgia. Much love and thanks to my friends and family.

Claire Nasuti (Maiden) is a (semi) recent graduate of TrinityCollege in Hartford, CT. When not making your lattes ortutoring your kids for their SAT, she can be seen performingwith the Festival of Fools Theater Troupe and the LesbianOvertones. Recent credits include Dr. Faustus, The Father ofSongs (Schapiro Theater), In Heat (West End Theater) andX-Mas (LaMama ETC). Thanks and love to family and friends...you know who you are.

Dennis Demitry (Thoas) recently appeared as Carlo in theindependent crime film Behind the Eyes of a Hit Man. He alsoappeared in the title role of Shostakovich in New York at theNicholas Roerich Museum and as Claudius in the HB Theatreproduction of Hamlet, directed by George Bartenieff. He stud-ied at ACDA, also with Gene Frankel, and at HB Studios.

Adam Griffith (Soldier) is a recent graduate of William EsperStudios where he studied under both Bill and Suzanne Esper.Previous credits include: Closer (Redd Tale Pro.); Spoon RiverAnthology (Adam Roebuck Pro.); and The Reading (Dir. PaulaJ. Riley). In September Adam will be in his first Shakespeareproduction as Nym and Salisbury in Henry V at the QueensPlayers, and, in October, he will play Ben in Seascape withSharks and Dancer (Dir. Jules Helm).

Nikole Williams constantly seeks interesting acting projects and diverse roles. Her acting experience includes productions such as Color Struck and Woyzeck, which she performed at her alma mater, Barnard College, as well as The Merchant of Venice, Arabian Nights, The Adventures of Perseus, Oh Freedom, and Shakespeare Saturdays Sings. She has enjoyed working with the good-natured cast and crew of Iphigenia in Tauris and thanks her family and friends for their support!

Jeff Dailey (Director) has a PhD in theatre from New YorkUniversity. At the American Theatre of Actors he has directedthe world premieres of Jim Barden's The Good Life and PeterSpiro's The Way Rain Likes Grass, as well as four plays byChristopher Marlowe--Tamburlaine the Great, Parts I and II;Dido, Queen of Carthage; and Edward II. He has publishedworks on medieval theatre, Eugene O'Neill, Christopher Marlowe, Beowulf, and Gilbert and Sullivan. His book on Sullivan’sIvanhoe (Sir Arthur Sullivan’s Grand Opera Ivanhoe and ItsMusical Precursors: Adaptations of Sir Walter Scott’s Novel forthe Stage, 1819-1891), published by Mellen Press in 2008, isthe standard reference work on the subject. Dr. Dailey studied directing at NYU, with Mike Nichols at the New Actors Workshop, and with José Quintero at the Provincetown Playhouse.

Terry Prideaux (Stage Manager) is very excited to be workingwith the talented cast of ATA’s production of Iphigenia in Tauris.Terry is a graduate of The Art Institute of Seattle with an Associates Degree in Visual Communications (2001). His previous performing arts technical experience includes tours withDisney on Ice and Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus.Currently he is enrolled at The Art Institute of NYC pursuinga degree in web design. He is published photographer and afreelance graphic designer.